Publish Date:  May 2, 2016

SALINAS, Calif. - The Agricultural Business and Technology Institute of Hartnell College is excited to host the tenth year of the Western Food Safety Summit with the theme “Key Strategies to Comply with Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).”  This two-day event will convene on Wednesday, May 4 and Thursday, May 5, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Mainstage Theater (Building K) at 411 Central Avenue, Salinas, Calif.

This 2016 Summit provides key strategies that fresh fruit and vegetable producers and processing operations can put in place or improve upon to be in compliance with the new FSMA.  Keynote presentations on Wednesday morning will highlight the new regulation - explain what it means to specific cropping systems such as leafy greens, and address bacteria, listeria, and testing challenges.  Keynote presentations on Thursday morning will address emerging technologies for food safety, sanitation practices, GMOs, training, and recordkeeping.

The entire afternoon program on both days features a compilation of 20 breakout sessions to allow participants to focus on topics of highest importance to their operations and to their work.  Of special interest will be a Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement module (offered in English on Wednesday and in Spanish on Thursday) addressing the cleaning and sanitation of harvest equipment.  Other sessions will address commodity specific risk assessments, reclaimed water, labeling, transportation, co-management, recall plans, preventive controls, and the produce rule.

Wednesday morning’s welcome address by Hartnell College Superintendent/President, Dr. Willard Lewallen will mark the inaugural awards of two named food safety scholarships in honor of Andrew Fernandez and Neil Ledford.  Each scholarship will be in the amount of $1,000 and awarded to a student actively pursuing the food safety certificate offered by the Agricultural Business and Technology Institute. 

"The Ag Institute Food Safety Industry Advisory committee’s goal is to share tools, practices, and policies that participants can immediately apply to their own operations to manage risks and increase the basis for a strong culture of food safety," said Dr. Susan M. Pheasant, Director of Agriculture Business and Technology Institute.  “Additionally, we are excited to be able to honor Andrew Fernandez and Neil Ledford for their leadership and dedication to Hartnell’s Agriculture Business and Technology Institute and the food safety program.” 

Andrew Fernandez is a leader in fresh vegetable food safety and served as long-time chair of the Ag Institute’s Food Safety Industry Advisory Committee.  Neil Ledford, now retired, served as the Dean of Advanced Technology during the renovation of the Hartnell Alisal Campus and was instrumental in establishing the food safety certificate curriculum.

For media inquiries the day of the event, you may contact, Dr. Pheasant at 509.421.0358 or  spheasant@hartnell.edu or Cristina Westfall, Hartnell College Foundation at 831.755-6810 or cwestfall@hartnell.edu . Tickets are still available at https://hartnellfoundation.org/donate-now /summit

Program is available at  http://www.hartnell.edu/western-food-safety-summit

Hartnell Community College District – established in 1920

The Hartnell CCD serves over 16,000 students annually through its main campus in Salinas, the Alisal Campus in East Salinas, the King City Education Center, and various outreach learning centers throughout the Salinas Valley. Hartnell College, a Hispanic Serving Institution, provides workforce training, basic skills courses, and prepares students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Hartnell College is recognized for its innovative public and private partnerships that support world class STEM education, career technical education, fine and performing arts, humanities, and athletics. We are proud to be the winners of the Innovation Award for CSin3 – a Computer Science degree in three years.  We are growing leaders through opportunity, engagement, and achievement. For more about Hartnell CCD, visit www.hartnell.edu.

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